Warm Like Coffee In Winter
by ChibiStarChan129
Summary: Gaara gets hired for a part-time job in a cafe. Despite his busy and stressful life of being hated, bombarded with work from school, and his job, he notices a regular visitor at the cafe - a quiet girl with indigo hair. Will this girl hate him, like everyone else in his school, or will she approach him with warmth? He assumes the former. . .
1. New Employee

**Hello! This is my first fanfic! Please read and review, but most of all, I hope you enjoy it! I'm sorry that this is short, but it's the prologue, so the next chapters will hopefully be longer.**

**Disclaimer: Naruto, obviously, does not belong to me.**

***EDIT: I went back and made some small adjustments**

Chapter 1: New Employee

"Congratulations! You're hired." I heard the manager's voice through the phone. Finally, my sister would quit nagging me to get a job.

"Thanks," I responded emotionless. Starting tomorrow, I would be a café cashier in the local bookstore. My life was already busy; I had school, homework, chores, studying, and now I had to add on a part-time job. Sighing as I hung up the phone, I ran my hand through my blood red hair. _This is gonna be fun._

RING! RING!

_School's over, time to go home. . . wait, I have to WORK. _Inwardly groaning, as I slung my backpack over my shoulder, I said 'bye' to my friends. Oh. That's right, I didn't _have_ any friends. My classmates scrambled for the exit of the school, gossiping, chatting, and laughing. I hated them. Every one of them. Since I first moved here in middle school, I was named the freak of the school, because I looked and acted different. They'd give me weird looks and comment about my hair, and black-rimmed eyes amongst themselves. People would either avoid me, or make fun of me. Because of this, I turned cold toward everyone. Now, as a sophomore in high school, I still remained with no friends and the same cold attitude.

I slowly walked out of the school by myself and felt the frigid air through my gray hoodie. I zipped it up higher and started toward town. I've never had a job before, and was reluctant to get one, but I needed the money to help pay expenses in the house. I was living under my older sister, Temari's roof, so it was the least I could do, and she kept pestering me about it, anyway. After a long walk, I had found the bookstore and pushed my way through the door. It was fairly roomy inside, with large windows to let in natural light, and rows of bookshelves - what anyone would expect in a bookstore. The café was connected to it. It had small tables where people sat with their laptops or books, sipping at coffee and eating pastries. On the counter sat samples, gift cards, and other small merchandise. There were cakes, cookies, and muffins surrounded by glass for people to choose. A coffee aroma occupied the air, while café machines and light chatter could be heard.

"Oh, thank goodness!" a relieved voice caught my attention. I turned to see a tan, young man with brown spiky hair, who seemed to be around my age. He had red triangle-like shapes painted on his face, which I found odd.

"You're the new cashier, right? I've been doing most of the work around here, since we've been low on employees," His smiling face turned to an uncomfortable one. "Oh. . . Gaara. Y-you're the new employee?" I stared at him with a blank face.

"Do I know you?" I asked in monotone.

"Uh, yeah. We're in the same class. . ." That would explain his reaction. Just like everyone else, he feared me. He thought I was a freak. This was going to be worse than I thought. Working alongside a classmate - another one that hated me, and whom I also hated. He interrupted the awkward silence, nervously, "Well, I'll, um, show you the basics and give you your work attire."

I followed him behind the counter of the café. He showed me how to work the cash register, told me where to find certain things, and even demonstrated how to make different coffees and Frappuccinos. It didn't seem too complicated, just tiresome, especially when imagining a line of customers. He held out a brown paper bag.

"Here. Change into this," I grabbed it by the handle and went to the back room. I sat the bag down on a chair and reached in. Feeling the cloth, I pulled out an olive green, button-up shirt with a collar. There was also a pair of black jeans, a nametag, and a visor, similar to that of Kiba's. _Me? Wear a collared shirt and visor? _Damn, this was _definitely_ going to be worse than I thought. I stepped out of the room and returned to Kiba. When he saw me, his eyes widened a fraction, and then he appeared to be holding back a chuckle. Aware of this, I shot him a glare. The uneasy expression returned to his face.

"Er, you can start, now. If you have any questions, ask me." He quickly walked to a machine and began making a frappe. I walked over to the cash register to see a few people in line.

"Can I take your order?" I asked the lady, flatly. She stepped back, a little with a disturbed look. Was it me? What did I do? I raised a hairless eyebrow. She told me what she wanted, but I assumed that she was concentrating more on my appearance than what was coming out of her mouth. The rest of the customers in line did the same. They must not be used to seeing a pale, redheaded, blank faced guy with no eyebrows and eyes bordered black. I didn't care. I just wanted to finish this so I could go home and work on my stupid English essay.

The customers had finally calmed down, and I had time to breathe. As I did this, I scanned the café. It was pretty quiet, and there were few people, but someone caught my eye. I saw a girl sitting by herself at a table next to the window, reading. She was a petite girl with long black-indigo hair. She was sporting a purple sweater with sleeves that were too long, skinny jeans, boots, and a knit winter beanie. I noticed her earlier, while Kiba was instructing me. She'd been here around the time I arrived and hadn't spoken once. She's just another one of those people from the school that hated me, and whom I also hated, I assumed. I shrugged and went to the back room again, to change. It was 5:30 p.m., and since it was almost winter, the days were shorter, and it became dark, sooner.

I walked toward the door and without a glance at Kiba, said "I'm leaving."

"Alright," I could hear the relief in his voice. I was used to this, and ignored it.

When I got home, Temari immediately bombarded me with questions about my new job.

"So? Did you like it? It wasn't too complicated, was it? Were the other employees friendly?" I managed a 'hn' as I proceeded to my room, leaving Temari in silence. I didn't want to think about it, much less talk about it. I knew I'd have to go back tomorrow, and dreaded it as much as school.

Shutting the door, I mumbled, "That was a pain in the ass." I threw my backpack on the floor next to my bed and grabbed a piece of loose-leaf paper and pencil. Then I pulled out my rolling chair, sat at my desk and began my English paper.

**Thank you so much for reading it! If you leave a review, I would greatly appreciate it! Again, sorry that it is sort! I hope you will read the next chapters that I post! **


	2. Confusion

**Alright! Chapter 2 is up! It's a little longer than the other one. I hope it's not confusing or weird. If it is, I would love some tips on how to make it better. Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

***EDIT: I went back and made a few small changes.**

**Chapter 2:** Confusion

Sleep was the only I time I could be me. It was the only time that I could get away from everything, yet it felt like such a short while before my alarm would go off. From that moment, I'd have to go through my daily hassles, again. My life. It was hell.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The loud noise rang in my ears, and I knew that this is when hell would start. My arm stretched out from under the covers, as I slapped my hand on the snooze button, just like they do in the movies. Grumbling, I swung my feet over the side of the bed and scratched my bare shoulder. I scanned the room, grabbed a random shirt, and lugged myself to the bathroom to begin the day. I let my thoughts wander as I turned the shower faucet. _If only I didn't have that stupid job! Then I would have finished my English paper earlier, therefore I would have gone to bed earlier, which means more sleep. _

Then started the same routine; I would go to school, everyone would avoid me, and I'd get a crap-load of homework from my teachers. Nothing was new, but, I _did_ notice that Kiba kid for the first time since school started, and he only sat a couple of seats away. But why should I care? I always stayed in the confines of myself and the lesson. What else was I supposed to do? What else was I supposed to do when I went to a school full of people that hated me and whom I also hated?

Finally, when the nightmare of school was over with, I moved on to the nightmare of work. _Yippee._ As soon as I walked in, I saw many people in the café. This was about the time that people would get off work and want to stop and get a coffee, so it was busy. Kiba was already there, probably because he rode a bike, or something. I got dressed and rushed to take people's orders. Same as yesterday. Apprehensive looks from customers. How annoying.

"Oi, Gaara. Can you take these Frappuccinos to the bookstore staff?" asked Kiba when there was no one in line. He held out a tray of plastic cups with chocolate-flavored ice and whipped cream inside. I grabbed the tray without a word and headed the opposite direction, while Kiba went to the back room. Thinking about how much I hate my job, my arm bumped on the counter's side and - PLOP!

Everything fell on the floor. My eyes widened. _Shit! And it's only been my second day! _I turned my head to see if Kiba had witnessed my accident, but he was still in the back room. I knelt down and began picking up the plastic cups that the Frappuccinos were no longer in. As I did this, I felt a presence bending down in front of me.

"D-do you need help?" I heard a soft, quiet voice, almost inaudible.

Looking up, the first thing I saw was a pair of large, pale, lavender orbs. It was that girl I saw sitting near the window, yesterday. What did she think she was doing? Normally, a person wouldn't come and talk to _me_. What did this girl want?_ This must be some sort of joke._ Yet, I didn't see a hint of hatred or ruthlessness in her eyes.

I looked down expressionless and let out a cold, "I've got it." She was still there, so I looked back up at her. "You're the customer, so. . ." I trailed off, waiting for her to leave.

"I don't mind helping." her melodic voice replied as she tilted her head and smiled softly. Who was this girl? I still didn't trust her, but it didn't really matter. I just let her help me clean the floor, anyway. She stayed silent, and seemed a bit nervous. Just as I thought. She feared me.

"Thanks," I turned and brought the rags to the sink. Kiba came out from the back room.

"Did you bring the Frappuccinos to them?"

"I dropped them." I growled, looking away.

Anxiously, he said, "O-okay, I'll make some more and I can just take it to them, myself."

I glanced at the girl, again. She was sitting in the same spot as yesterday, working on homework for school, most likely. Confused thoughts filled my head. I didn't get why she helped me, willingly, like that. No one's ever done anything like that to me, before. I shook my head, and continued my job at the cash register until it got dark again. I told Kiba that I was leaving, proceeding to the doors. I walked the dark streets, the biting cold caused me to shiver, and I only had my gray hoodie. _I really need to get a thick jacket_. The sky was clear, and while looking at the stars, I wondered what it would be like to live in the sky, free, without any worries.

At school, the next day, I was on my way to the principal's office with a guy named Sasuke. So what, if I punched him in the face for dumping his soda in my backpack? It was his fault. We glared at each other while walking down the hallway, a teacher behind us. He had tissues stuffed in his nostrils and I carried my sugary, soaked bag.

"Here they are, Ms. Tsunade." The teacher had called the office and told her everything. _This is exactly what I need right now. _

Ms. Tsunade sat in her large chair and seemed to be looking into our souls over her desk. "Come in, you two." Her voice was stern as she motioned to the seats across from her. "So, do you want to tell me what happened?"

Sasuke was the first to speak, "I accidently spilled my soda on this guy's bag, and he punched me!" Lies. He most definitely did it on purpose. I remember that smirk as he tilted the soda over my property.

Tsunade began to lecture me. "Gaara, you need to think, before you act. Did it not occur to you that it may have been an accident? And punching other students is not the answer to-"

"He purposely spilled it! Now, my stuff is wet and will attract ants, damn it!"

Well, it turned out that both Sasuke and I were given gym clean-up duty. That means washing sweaty towels and putting away basketballs . . . with _him. _We walked out of the principal's office and I gave Sasuke a piercing look that said, 'I'm going to kill you'. When we went through the gym doors, we were met with a large, bright room with basketball baskets and wood floors, like any ordinary gym. I was shocked to see that girl from the café. She had already started sweeping the balcony. So she _did_ go to this school. Sasuke also noticed her.

"Hinata? What are you doing here?" he asked. _So that's her name._

She jumped with a squeak, because she had not seen us come in, and then became flustered.

"U-um, I-Ino asked me to take her place for clean-up duty, th-this week." There was her quiet, stuttering voice, again. She looked at me in confusion. "You're the guy from the c-cafe. I didn't know you went to school, here. . ." I could hear the apologetic tone in her voice.

Hinata fidgeted with her fingers as she looked down. She seemed to be quite shy. "Why are you guys here?" The two of us made a 'hmph' noise and looked away from each other. It was _this_ idiot who got us into this mess. The thought of having to get a new backpack made me angry. _That means money from my paycheck. That asshole._ I started picking up basketballs, Sasuke went to the gym closet to get the basket, and Hinata continued sweeping. It was just the three of us cleaning in a giant gym. All was silent.

After we were finished, Sasuke gave me one more deathly glare and left. Hinata grabbed her backpack that was leaning against the wall and walked toward me, timidly. _What is with her? Is she afraid of me or not? __Every time I look at her, a new question arises._ _I just don't understand this girl. _Once she approached me, she looked at her feet and played with her fingers again. She was really small, compared to me. What could a girl like this want from me?

"Y-you're going to the café, now, right?" I nodded, impassively. "Do you want to w-walk with me?" This unexpected question hit me in the face.

After recovering from this blow, I asked, "What?" even though I heard her clearly.

She repeated, a bit more hesitantly, "Do you . . . want to walk with me?" Light pink painted her cheeks.

_I can't trust this girl! She must be planning something on me._ I thought this, but somewhere inside, I wanted to trust her.

"Sure, why not?" I said in my usual flat tone. First, I had to go to my locker, and when I opened it, I remembered that my backpack was soggy with soda. I took all of my soaked things out and threw the bag in the nearest trash bin.

"W-what happened?"

I turned to see a concerned expression plastered on Hinata's face. Why did she care? Another question to add to my list. Something made the inside of my chest feel warm. Overwhelmed by all the confusion, I forgot to answer her.

"Uh. . . nothing important."

". . . oh," And with that, we left the building.

"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself, I'm sorry! M-my name's Hinata Hyuuga. What's y-yours?" _Now she wants to know my name, huh? As soon as she hears it, she's going to change. She's going to realize that I'm the one that people have rumored 'dangerous.' _Hinata looked nervous enough. I wondered why she was talking to me if she was so uncomfortable around me.

"Gaara no Sabuku,"

Staring straight in front of me as I walked, I imagined what her face probably looked like, right then, and I didn't want to see it. I got ready for her to run away.

"Nice to meet you,"

**Well, that's the end of chapter two. I hope you enjoyed it. Should I leave it here, or get more into romance? Should I do a chapter with her POV? Please review and let me know what you'd like to see from me. :D**


	3. Unusual Feelings

**Sorry for taking longer to post this one. Heheh, I've been trying to bring my grades up by making up work. If you all like it enough, I can do more chapters during winter break in a week.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

***EDIT: I went back and made a few changes to make it flow better.**

Chapter 3: Unusual Feelings

"Nice to meet you,"

Eyes widening in shock, I let her words dance around in my head. Nice . . . to meet _me_? I've never heard such words being directed to me before. She couldn't have meant it, but she was a good actor. Still, she didn't seem like the cruel type. I just had to ask, though.

"What do you want from me?" I questioned a bit more harshly than I meant to, then finally, I looked down at her.

She seemed taken aback and a bit hurt. After about a minute, she repositioned the winter hat on her head, looked down, and started to speak.

"I-I don't necessarily want anything. Just trying to be friendly," I could barely hear her, but was still surprised by her answer. I didn't respond, but thoughtfully looked off into the distance ahead as we walked down the street. Things were quiet for a while, but her flowing voice interrupted the silence. "If you don't want me around . . . you can just say so. I'm used to it, a-anyway." Hinata's bangs covered her eyes, hiding the sorrow in them.

What? Suddenly, I slightly felt bad, but immediately covered it up with my draggy voice.

"I don't care." I closed my eyes as if uninterested in the conversation. "Do what you want."

When she realized what I said, she asked, "R-really?" Her stunned eyes moved to my face.

"Just don't cause me too much trouble." I decided I would accept her for the time being, but I couldn't get too comfortable. I was still unsure about these new and unusual feelings. This girl was certainly a mystery, to me. She could easily be another one of those satanic people that would cause me pain without a second thought.

After arriving at the café, we fell into our usual routine – she sat at the table by the window to begin homework, and I returned to my position as the cashier. The customers' stares annoyed me, just as they did yesterday, and the day before. They were so unlike Hinata's soft eyes. I wanted their looks to be more like hers . . . _Wait! What am I thinking? These thoughts are just as annoying as the customers. _

5:30. Time to go.

I started walking toward the familiar doors of the bookstore, when I was interrupted with a tap on the shoulder. I turned around to see no one, but looked down to find what I was looking for.

"A-ano, would you mind if I walked with you again, tomorrow?" asked Hinata in her usual nervous, but soothing tone.

"Sure, I guess." Turning around, I felt her eyes on my back as I left. Opening the door, I once again felt the chilled air hit my body. The air was so cold that I could see my breath under the yellowish tint of the streetlights. I stopped at a store and decided to buy a new backpack. There wasn't a very big selection. The only backpacks I saw were pink, Hello Kitty ones and black ones with the red, love kanji on it. I decided to go with the latter. I couldn't stand the florescent lighting of the store, and the smell of medicine from the pharmacy mixed with other scents was sickening. After paying for the bag, I put my books in it and walked outside. Damn. It was 36 degrees Fahrenheit and I still forgot to bring a bigger jacket. Buying one was out of the question.

"_If you don't want me around . . . you can just say so. I'm used to it, a-anyway."_ Why did that pop up in my head all of a sudden? What did she mean by that? I chose to forget about it at the moment. I couldn't really think straight when I was freezing to death.

"I heard that Gaara splashed soda at Sasuke and then punched him, yesterday, just because he accidently bumped his shoulder!"

"No Way! I heard that Gaara punched Sasuke in the face because he's jealous of his good looks!"

Just as I expected, people started gossiping, the next day, about the incident between me and Sasuke and, of course, I was always the bad guy. But why should I care? I didn't. That bastard deserved it.

The gossiping classmates shut up when I entered the classroom as if I was completely unaware of their conversations. Without looking at anyone, I slowly walked to my desk and took a seat. Everyone in the room stared at me, but I paid no heed. Again, I was used to it.

It was around the end of the day, when I headed to the gym, again. Sasuke was already there with Hinata. He was leaning against the wall, talking to her casually. Her cheeks had a shade of pink on them as her eyes shifted around, avoiding his face. Then her eyes met mine. Sasuke turned and looked, too, when he noticed she wasn't paying attention to whatever boring thing he had to say.

Smirking at me, he commented, "You're late." I ignored this and went straight to the gym closet to get the sweaty towels together for washing. A minute later, I heard the light tapping of feet when I turned to see Hinata at the closet doorway. She smiled at me, lightly, grabbed the broom, and scampered off to sweep the wooden floors. Sasuke caught her attention, again, with another conversation. Was this guy going to do _any_ work? I put everything in the wash and came out to interrupt him.

"You could at least pick up the basketballs," I directed to Sasuke and he glowered at me with eyes of daggers. I continued, "You're at fault for all of this, so there's no need for the look."

"Who punched who?" His quick-witted response angered me, but I let it go. I didn't want another week of gym clean-up. He gave me a 'that's what I thought' look, then turned to ask Hinata what she was doing after school. This irritated me for some reason.

"She's walking to town with me." I replied, a bit shocked at my statement. Hinata gave the same reaction.

"I didn't ask you." Sasuke's spat out relentlessly.

"Hn," This asshole was getting on my nerves, so _I_ went to pick up the basketballs. The sooner I could leave the better. I'd rather work in the café than hang around here with _him_.

Finally, we were finished. Hinata and I went to the wall where both of our backpacks were and grabbed them.

"I like you n-new backpack." She complemented as I put it on my back. I just glanced at her. Then she put on her scarf and winter beanie.

"Bye, Hinata." Sasuke said and smirked at me before he departed.

I went outside with Hinata. It was just as cold as last night. We walked for a while in quiet peace.

"Aren't you cold without a jacket?" Hinata asked suddenly. I didn't respond, just kept walking. She looked as if in thought and didn't say anything for a while. After the few silent minutes passed, she slowed to a stop. After realizing that she was no longer beside me, I also stopped and turned around to look at her. "Bend down," She commanded softly.

"What?" I was confused, but tried to keep my composure.

"Just bend down, please," Her face was a bit red, but she smiled at me so warmly. Why would she want me to do such a thing? What's she planning to do? I stood there for a few seconds before bending over hesitantly in front of her. She unwrapped the scarf from her neck and began slowly wrapping it around _my_ neck. I slightly jumped back which caused her to pause for a moment, but then she continued. Her gentle touch sent chills down my spine, different from the freezing cold chills. No one has been this gentle to me. My cheeks felt warm all of a sudden, and my breathing became shallow.

"There. B-better. . . ?" She asked me shyly.

I stood straight, again, and my eyes darted away. "I-I guess," I touched the scarf lightly. I didn't know how to react in this sort of situation. Was this kindness real, or could it be some game to get me close to her and cause me pain. When I looked at her, though, she seemed too innocent to play that kind of trick. In short, I didn't know _what_ to think of her. She giggled with a fist held to her mouth.

"It looks good on you."

As soon as we got there, Kiba told me that we will have to work late, today. Until 7:00 p.m. This put me in a pissy mood. _Now I have to stay up late to finish my homework, tonight. _I grumbled a 'Can I take your order?' to the first customer. One thing that I noticed about all of these people was that they all acted the same. To me, they were like robots or sheep that dressed alike and acted alike. It was boring. Almost like watching the same reruns of a TV show, over and over.

I stared at the clock for the last few minutes. 6:53 p.m. Just a little longer. Hinata had already left a couple of minutes , I went to the back room, got dressed, and headed out at 7:00. Then I realized that I still had her scarf. I placed it in my new backpack and decided to give it to her tomorrow. The streets were dark with barely anyone walking on them. I put my hands in my pockets and solemnly continued down the street. I came to a point where a streetlight flickered on and off. It was a bit creepy, in my opinion, but I'd never admit it. That's when I heard a sharp cry.

"Help! Please, hel-" The voice was cut off, but it was familiar. I made an abrupt stop to listen for the sound, again, but heard nothing. I thought I heard it coming from the dark alley near the flickering streetlight. Quickly, I paced to the end of the alley and put my back against the wall to peek around the corner. I made out the shape of a man. He was on top of a young girl. . .

Hinata!

**There shall be more to come! :D Please, leave a review and let me know what you think!**


	4. Friends

**I'm sorry, but I replaced this chapter with major editing. I kept some of it the same, but added lots of new stuff and edited a lot. Anyway, I felt that it went too fast, and someone mentioned that there were too many things going on in this chapter, so I changed it. Here, Gaara gets to trust her more. The other stuff will still happen, but I'm making things a little different. I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

Chapter 4: Friends

He looked to be a man in his late 20s or so. He wore a long coat and hat, so I couldn't really see his face. His knees pinned Hinata's arms down, and one hand roughly clasped over her mouth while the other was holding a knife ripping through her layers of clothing. Tears were streaming down her face as she struggled to free herself from the man. I looked into her eyes where I saw terror, and helplessness. Her body was fighting to get away, but her eyes looked as if she had already given up, as if everything was lost, as if it was the end.

Here was the girl that I've only known for a couple of days, the girl that I was suspicious of, but the only girl who showed me such kindness and acceptance, the only girl that treated me like a normal human being. Here she was being attacked in front of my eyes, scared for her life. Seeing her distressed face made something inside me snap. I completely changed from my usual self. My hands curled into fists, my teeth clenched, my pupils shrunk. I kept hearing her kind words in my head and seeing her face giving me a warm smile.

"_D-do you need help?"_

"_Nice to meet you,"_

"_A-ano, would you mind if I walked with you again, tomorrow?"_

I ran toward the man and growled, "Get off her you filthy son of a bitch!" He turned his head only to have his face meet with my fist. Stumbling back, he let out a shocked gasp and held his face in one hand. Once he got back on his feet he began swinging his knife at me. I dodged every swing with ease, then grabbed his wrist and twisted it, switching the knife's owner to myself. I was obviously much faster and a better fighter than this guy, and he noticed it. My eyes burned into his soul as if they would suck him up into hell any second. I held the knife in front of me and pointed it toward him. Now his eyes filled with terror, and he retreated deeper into the dark ally, holding his wrist while running. I stood there for a few seconds, glaring into the darkness until I was sure he wasn't coming back. I've never felt so enraged, and it was strange, especially since I did it to _protect_ someone. Someone that I wasn't sure I could trust.

I glanced downward to find Hinata sitting, her knees up to her chest, head buried in her hands. She was sobbing and trembling. Clothes scattered around her. All she had left were fragments of an undershirt, a bra, and unbuttoned jeans. I didn't have much on, but a grey jacket, so I took it off and wrapped it around her small, shivering body, then I grabbed the scarf from my bag and put that on her, also. I entirely forgot about my previous, negative thoughts about her. Her glassy eyes gazed at me before she threw her small frame at me in a tight, desperate hug. I didn't know what to do. I've only been hugged by my sister when I was a small child.

"T-thank you, Gaara-kun!" She said between sobs. She clung onto me with her skinny arms as if I was her only source of life. I looked around and then patted her head. We sat in that position for a while, but I was freezing because all I had, now, was a short-sleeved shirt. I guessed that Hinata was cold, too, since she didn't have any clothes. I buckled her backpack to mine, and then slung them around onto my back. Carefully, I slid my hand under her legs and shoulders to lift her and get out of that alley.

"Show me where to go, and I'll take you home." I spoke flatly while looking ahead.

She nodded with a sniff. Hinata was so light. It was almost like carrying a feather. Her hands resting on my chest, I could feel her body shiver. We were moving slowly, since I also had to carry two school bags on my back.

"I'm sorry," I heard her muffled voice in my jacket. What could she possibly be apologizing for? It's not her fault she was attacked by some man. She continued, "You told me not to cause you trouble . . . and yet, I did. I-I'm sorry." This statement bewildered me tremendously. _This is the first thing she says? She just went through hell and all she's thinking about is me. She really is a selfless girl. _What was I supposed to say?

"Which way?" I asked, changing the subject. She pointed me to the direction of her house. A little while later, I sighed and responded to her previous statement. "Yes, you really are a lot of trouble," I could feel her shoulders lower in affliction. "but you're alright, and that's all that matters, right now." Realizing what I said, I became embarrassed and abashed. Gaara no Sabuku never said things like that, so what in the hell was it that made me act this way? I looked down to see her face lighten up a little.

Things were quiet for a while. The only sounds were the sounds of my slow footsteps and passing cars. There was no moonlight, for the moon was blocked by clouds. The streets almost seemed deserted. I began to wonder if Hinata had fallen asleep until she told me that we were there. We stood in front of a tall, fancy home. Her family must have been very rich.

"You can put me down, now." said Hinata, barely audible. I gently set her down, and then unbuckled her bag from mine. "P-please don't tell anyone about this, and thank you for everything." Her face turned red as I handed her bag to her. I watched as she climbed the side wall of the house and into her bedroom window. One thing I knew for sure was that this girl was very strange, and she brought up weird emotions inside me.

BEEP! BEEP! BEE-

I slammed my hand on the alarm, again. I lay in bed a bit longer as I recalled the events from last night. I even wondered if it was a dream. Images of Hinata and the man flashed through my head as I lay there. The look in her eyes. All of the things I felt when I looked into them. Yes, this wasn't a dream, it actually happened. How troublesome.

The school hallways were crowded, but everyone made room for me to get through. I didn't have to go through a mess of people. If there was one good thing about being avoided, it was this.

"Stupid girl! Who do you think you are, bumping my arm, like that?"

"I'm v-very sorry, I wasn't paying attention. I'll be more careful," replied a familiar, shy voice.

"Apologizing isn't enough." I looked over to see some guy hanging Hinata up on a door frame by the back of her shirt. All of the students in the hallway laughed. She just hung there with an embarrassed expression, being the center of attention.

"Asshole!" Another familiar voice. Sasuke came out of nowhere and gave the guy a roundhouse kick right in the face. He stood in front of the guy who was now on the ground, hands on his hips. "Touch her again and I'll kill you." With that, he slowly walked to the door and unpinned Hinata from its frame. She fell into his arms with an 'eep!'

"Are you alright, Hinata?" he asked, worriedly. She nodded without realizing that all of the girls were giving her devilish glares. This didn't go unnoticed by me, though, and I knew the intentions behind these glares. Hinata blushed once again, and backed out of Sasuke's arms. Bowing, she thanked him a million times. Everyone still stared at her, and when she realized this, she quickly hid behind him. This girl definitely hated all the attention. When everyone decided that the scene was boring and left, she came out from behind Sasuke, who looked at her bemused. I just knew she was on the death list for all of the girls in the school.

Her big round eyes brightened when she spotted me, then she smiled and waved. Sasuke gave me the dirtiest look, yet.

Hinata ambled over to me. "Gaara-kun, I h-have a surprise for you," She seemed quite happy, despite what just happened to her a few minutes ago. A surprise . . . for me? Why would she want to do such a thing? "You'll see during clean-up duty." Then she bounded away when the warning bell rang. I stood in the middle of the hall, puzzled. Sasuke slowly walked toward me, and I turned my attention toward him.

"What's going on between you two?" he asked bitterly.

I closed my eyes and answered bluntly, "That has nothing to do with you." Then walked away, hands in my pockets, as if he was just an empty can in the middle of the road. _What does that idiot want?_

Today, Sasuke and I were the first in the gym. It was dull and silent, but we cleaned up without any arguments, just a few scowls here and there. We both looked up when we heard Hinata walk through the gym doors. She stumbled around awkwardly.

"I'm sorry I'm late,"

I noticed that she was holding a large gift bag. Setting it down, she bent over and reached in. "I have s-something for _both_ of you as a 'thank you' for h-helping me out." She pulled out a nice, black scarf and winter boots, which she handed to Sasuke.

"Wow, f-for me?" asked Sasuke in surprise, pink barely visible on his cheeks. Hinata nodded and smiled. She reached in the bag again, and pulled out a heavy jacket and hat.

"And for you," she held them out to me, smiling. My mouth parted when I saw the jacket. I almost forgot to take it from her.

"Where did you get this?"

"I bought it,"

I started to hand it back to her, "You didn't have t-"

"I-I wanted to. And, anyway. . . you two are my . . . f-friends, right?" Her blush grew a deeper shade of red and her lavender orbs looked away. She fiddled with her fingers. What a shy girl.

Sasuke and I stood there in awe. My face felt warm._ Friends? I didn't know that I would ever be capable of possessing a friend. What was the catch? Why would someone ever want to be friends with me?_

"Of course," replied Sasuke, his own face colored. He didn't seem the same. Not like the usual asshole. Hinata laughed lightly and we finished up our job, cleaning. The whole time, I was debating whether I could trust her enough to be my friend. So far, she had not done anything to bring me any sort of pain, but still. . . I couldn't be too careful.

I put on my new jacket and hat. The jacket was a thick, brown, button up and the hat was a lot like Hinata's – a slouchy knit hat – but a dark grey color. For once, I actually felt warm while walking to work. Hinata walked by my side as she did yesterday. I stared at her thoughtfully. _Should I trust her, or not?_ Out of all questions, this is the one that was eating at me the most. I mean, she looked trustworthy, she looked innocent, she acted kind, she acted like she cared about me. So what was it that was holding me back? When she noticed that I had been staring at her, she looked at me and then smiled at me, tilting her head cutely. There couldn't be anything evil in that face. I turned away, my face serious as I tried to decide what I should do.

"Are you okay, Gaara-kun?" I glanced at her. Her smile turned to a worried frown. She was worried about me, again. What kind of worried, innocent girl possibly be evil? _What the heck am I doing!? It's completely obvious that she's not a bad person! I . . . I guess I'm just not used to this sort of feeling. I'm not used to being treated with generosity. _And with that, I decided to give her a chance.

"Hinata, you're . . . really my friend, right?" She was shocked, relieved even. When I looked her in the face, I felt comfort.

"Of course," she said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. "Are you . . . _my_ friend?"

I didn't expect this. When I didn't answer for a while, Hinata's spirits fell. I felt terrible for making her feel this way, a nice girl like her. As she looked at the ground, I put my hand on her head, making her look up.

"Yes. I am."

**This is the longest chapter, yet. Please leave a review!**


	5. Coffee

**I've updated the last chapter and changed it a LOT, so if you haven't seen it, then I suggest going back to understand what's going on. ^^; Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

Chapter 5: Coffee

Kiba and I cleaned the countertops of the café as we were about ready to leave. I let Kiba finish things up, got into my normal clothes, and started to walk toward the doors. Stopping where the bookstore and café were connected, I looked over my shoulder at Hinata.

"Hinata," I called. She looked up from the book she had been reading. "Let's go." I started walking toward the door, again. Hinata didn't sit in confusion, and didn't ask questions. She just gathered her things, quickly, and clumsily ran to catch up with me. I heard the sounds of her stumbling feet behind me, and pushed through the door. I thought, again, of how nice it was to have a thicker jacket, finally, while we walked down the dark streets. Then I remembered how only a couple of hours ago, we had officially become friends.

"_Hinata, you're . . . really my friend, right?"_

"_Of course. Are you . . . my friend?" _

"_Yes. I am."_

Something inside just told me that she could be trusted. As she remained silent, I noticed that she was like me in some ways. Mostly quiet, not very sociable, misunderstood. I didn't know much about her, and this is one reason why I was so confused when she was around. Now that we were friends, I guessed, now was the best time to get to know her. How did one get to know someone? I was clueless when it came to people. _I'll just start by asking a question._

"Why do you go to the café, every day?" I asked without a glance.

Hinata appeared to be taken off-guard. "Uh, um . . . I'm not quite sure. I guess it's because I like the atmosphere . . . and m-maybe a little has to do with my liking for the smell of coffee."

I thought about her answer for a moment. "Why don't you just buy some?"

"W-well, I'd rather spend my money on things for o-other people." After her statement, my thoughts flashed back to earlier, today, when she gave me and Sasuke gifts. "Can I a-ask _you_ a question?" I snapped back into reality and gave an impassive nod. She paused hesitantly, but asked, "Do you trust me?" I finally looked down at her to see her big lavender eyes glinting as they waited for an answer. "You don't seem very comfortable around me, and I feel that you don't like me very much." She sheepishly stared down at her boots as we walked. So she realized that I didn't trust her before, but that was behind me now. I had accepted her as my friend and as a trustworthy person. She was just too pure a girl to distrust.

"That's . . . not entirely true." I conclusively replied. This caused her to turn her head toward me, again. I continued, "At first, I didn't know if I could trust you, or not. Before, if I got close to someone, they would, later, try and cause me pain. Being hated made me think that I couldn't trust anyone, but meeting you caused me to become confused. It's not that I dislike you, or distrust you . . . I'm just new to being treated with kindness." I turned away, hiding the embarrassment on my face, due to the short speech I just made. _Does being friends require saying such embarrassing things?_

There was a long hush. When I decided to look to see her reaction, her eyes were wide, face flushed. "I . . . I . . ." She searched for words. Sighing, she closed her eyes, with a light smile. "I will never turn my back on you," After that, I knew I had made the right choice in trusting her. But, I had another question that had been bothering me for a while.

"Why be so kind . . . to _me_?" Hinata just walked beside me in thought.

"Everyone needs kindness, even if it's just something simple. You're no different." She responded. That was the end of our conversation, but it kept rerunning in my head. I was still curious about this girl. She was still quite the mystery, to me.

We came to the street with lots of dark alleys. When passing each alley, Hinata walked closer to me, her eyes fearfully looking into the darkness, most likely remembering last night's terrifying event. I grabbed her upper arm and slowly pulled her to the other side of me, away from the place she was so frightened of, and we stayed that way until we reached her house. She ran toward it, stopping to turn around and wave goodbye. Standing there, I waited for her to enter her house, then put my hands in my pockets and made my way toward my house.

* * *

The next morning, I met Hinata in front of the school. She was sitting under a tree which was almost barren of its leaves. She greeted me with a shy smile, as she stood up. I felt a slight warmth in my cheeks at the thought that she'd been waiting for me, here.

"Hey, d-do you want to go do something t-tomorrow, since it's the weekend?" asked Hinata, suddenly. "Maybe we could go somewhere fun . . . if you don't h-have to work, that is." Do something? Fun? I've never gone out during the weekends. I had always stayed in my room, sleeping, reading, stuff like that. What was there to do?

I shrugged. "Sure, whatever." I'd let her plan all that.

The two of us walked toward the school's entrance together, when I saw people staring at us. Exchanging whispers, they looked at us as if we were from another planet.

"Is something going on between Gaara and Hinata?"

"No way. Hinata with Gaara?"

"But they look so comfortable around each other,"

I heard so many conversations about us, that day. There wasn't much of a point in their whispering, for I could hear them perfectly. Hinata seemed very nervous. She hated being in the spotlight, surprisingly, more than I did. I was used to it, though. When people watched us in confused bewilderment while we ate lunch or as we traveled through the halls, she would hide behind me.

"W-why do they keep looking at us?" she whispered anxiously, clutching the back of my shirt. I didn't answer, but glared at the onlookers until they went away. They were so damn annoying. What was so interesting about us hanging around? It was none of their business.

A while after that, Hinata and I met Sasuke in the gym. Today was our last day for clean-up duty, thank god. Sasuke stood in the middle of the gym, arms crossed. His eyes like daggers stabbing into my chest. He didn't say anything to me, but greeted Hinata. He was obviously pissed about something, but I didn't care to find out what. I went to the gym closet, as usual, to put towels in the wash. Meanwhile, Hinata and Sasuke picked up basketballs and jump ropes. She tripped over her own feet, while cleaning, and Sasuke caught her. Her face turned red as she became flustered.

"Th-thanks." she said quietly. He just smirked and patted her on the head.

I headed to the door after grabbing my things, since my job was done. Hinata hurriedly gathered her bag and put her coat on, and then ran after me. I didn't even have to say anything.

"Bye Sasuke-kun!" she said in a sweet, melodic tone, while waving. I didn't even have to look back, because I already knew that he was giving my back a dirty look. He would normally make some smartass comment, but today he was acting different. Like I cared.

It was gloomy outside. The clouds blanketed the sky, leaving everything dull of color. The skeleton-like trees were still, as if frozen in time. I saw my breath as I let out a sigh. It was quite a tiring day, because of all those stupid kids staring at us, and _trying_ to talk about us in secret. I looked to Hinata to see her let out an exhausting sigh, as well. One thing that I liked about her was that she knew when to be quiet. She didn't talk nonstop, like most of the girls at school. I felt at peace when I traveled around with her, like I could just relax and be myself. The girl didn't ask for much, she just seemed to enjoy accompanying me. My thoughts wandered to all of the times she would follow me around like a puppy. The strange thing was, I didn't mind it so much.

We arrived to the café, finally. I quickly got into my work clothes and started taking orders from customers in line. It was usually this busy at the beginning. The customers died down about an hour later. Hinata sat silently next to the window as she read. Then I remembered that she liked coffee. _Hmmm. _I rushed to the coffee maker and poured coffee into a cup until it reached halfway. Then I poured some milk, added sugar, and made sure it was warm.

After making my way to Hinata, I set the cup on the table in front of her. She saw the cup placed in her range of vision and looked up to see my emotionless face. I then turned to head back to behind the counter.

"Wait, what's t-this for?"

Without looking back, I replied. "It's on me." It wasn't much, but I felt that I owed her something for everything she'd done. From the counter, I caught her raising the coffee to her face and taking in the scent with a delighted smile. Closing her eyes, she took a light sip. Her appreciation for the smell of coffee and the look on her face was kind of cute. _Wait, what?_ I shook my head and punched numbers in the cash register.

**I hope you liked it! Thanks to those of you who read, faved, followed, and reviewed! The next chapter will be up soon. **


	6. Downtown

**I was listening to a song called "Statues Without Eyes" by Kill Hannah, and it kind of reminded me of my fanfic, so I incorporated a few of the lyrics in the story, mostly in this chapter. If you listen to the lyrics of the song, you may be able to find them. I hope you like this chapter! ;)**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me.**

Chapter 6: Downtown

It's weird how things can change so much, and so suddenly. I've been a loner for so long, but only a couple of days ago, gained a friend. Someone I could trust. I've never dreamed that I ever would, and yet here I was, walking home with her. We weren't the closest friends and we didn't know much about each other, but she was all I had, and she seemed to like me pretty well.

"Where should we go, tomorrow?" Hinata's soft voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Uh, wherever. Doesn't matter to me." I answered indifferently. It didn't seem like there was much to do, here. Hinata turned her head to the black sky, her bangs bouncing as we walked.

"We could t-take a look at some of the shops downtown, a-and maybe stop by the park?"

I coolly put my hands in my jacket pockets. "Yeah, sure." With that, her face lit up.

"Okay! Hehee!" She made a little twirl, then with a light skip to her step, asked when and where we should meet.

"Um . . . I dunno." I wasn't much help with planning, but Hinata didn't seem to mind.

She pondered for a bit as she looked to the ground. "Does e-eleven sound okay? We can meet at the bookstore." Nodding, I kept note of it in my head. This would be my first time going out with a friend during the weekend. I had no idea what to expect and felt kind of anxious, without showing it, of course.

That night, after I had dinner and gone up to my room, I decided to relax a little, since I didn't have homework, for once. I turned off the light, took off my shirt and lay atop my bed, arms folded behind my head. Staring at the ceiling, I recalled the look that Sasuke gave me that day. He looked like he was ready to kill me at any second, but I hadn't even talked to him lately. He didn't give a smartass remark, he didn't pick a fight. He just scowled, as if he was thinking of ways to murder me.

I let out a deep sigh, turned over and closed my eyes. Tomorrow was Saturday, and I would go meet Hinata at the bookstore. I was so relieved that I didn't have to go to school or work tomorrow. It had been a tiring week filled with all kinds of emotions that I was unfamiliar with. Without another thought, I drifted off to sleep, then and there.

* * *

Leaning calmly against the outside of the bookstore, I waited for Hinata. It was 11:09. Glancing over to the side, I caught a small girl rushing down the street, toward me, bumping into people, and tripping over her own feet. Yep, it was Hinata. _Silly girl. She's always late._ I inwardly smirked. Once she appeared in front of me, she stopped, put her hands on her knees, and tried to catch her breath.

"I'm . . . s-sorry! You . . . weren't waiting . . . l-long, were you?" She took a breath every few words. I stood up straight and walked toward the direction of the bus stop, then stopped to look at her over my shoulder.

"You coming?"

"H-huh? Oh . . . h-hai!"

I didn't bother to ask her why she was late. We got on a bus that led us downtown. Passing tall buildings, pedestrians, and traffic lights, the bus brought us to a more metropolitan setting. Hinata twiddled her thumbs as she sat next to me, bored. I turned back to the window to see many shops. I've only been here once, a while back. The bus stopped and I followed Hinata out. Smiling, she asked where I wanted to go first. I shrugged. Again, I wasn't very helpful when it came to figuring out what to do next.

She asked in her sweet tone, "Are you hungry? We could eat lunch."

"Sure."

She led me to a hotdog place, and after ordering, we sat at a bench to eat. I looked over to her, and she suddenly started giggling, hand over her mouth. I raised a hairless eyebrow.

"You h-have chili on your face," Before I could think, she wiped my cheek with a napkin. There was her gentle touch, again. I felt a slight chill, and then looked away. When we finished, she hopped up from the bench and adjusted her winter hat.

"Let's go look at the shops!" Her big round eyes glistened. Grabbing my hand, she lightly pulled me toward the clothing shop. As she led me down to the first shop, I focused on our linked hands, which caused a tickle in my stomach. _Strange. I must be sick from the chili dogs. Yes, that's it._

We went from shop to shop, browsing. At the toy store, Hinata picked up a bunny plush and hugged it close to her chest. I could swear she was almost like a child. At an antique shop, I touched my fingers to a wind chime that was delicately crafted with wood. We went to the pet shop, next, and there were animals of all types, but Hinata seemed to take special interest in the puppies. One place had nothing but apple products. There were apple pies, apple cider, apple-scented candles . . . apple everything. Another had a lot of outdoor gear. Visiting each of these places, I saw so many things I've never seen before. We didn't buy a single thing, but it was still amusing just to look around.

I could see that Hinata was getting tired, and I was, as well. Deciding to stop at the central park, we sat on the ground near the lake. It was kind of nice, watching the water flow with the wind, light reflecting off of it and the birds flying in 'v' shapes to the south. The two of us watched a couple of squirrels chasing each other around a tree.

"So cute," Hinata's innocent voice interrupted the silence.

"Hn,"

I lay down on the grass, watching the jets pass by, overhead. A while later, Hinata lay back next to me and watched them, too. We stayed that way for a long time. The sky was getting darker and before we knew it, the colorful city lights lit everything up. When the cold wind picked up, and thunder could be heard, I knew a storm was closing in.

"Ready to go?" I asked. She nodded in response, and then we got up to head out of the park and back on the streets.

Under the downtown city lights, we stood, waiting for the bus. "Did you have fun?" Hinata asked with a smile.

"Yeah,"

"Me, too." She played with a button on her jacket. "I'm glad you came, I don't remember when I've had this much fun."

I nodded. I've _never_ had this much fun. I finally turned to look at her, and we locked eyes. Staying that way for a while, I needed to look away. Hinata did the same, with an embarrassed expression. I found it kind of funny that she mimicked everything I did, even if she didn't mean to. I felt a droplet of rain fall on my nose, but kept my stoic face. Then I felt another, and another. A minute later, it was pouring, and once the bus arrived, we rushed inside. Sitting in the same spot as last time, I looked out the window, again. Little drops of water slid down it, while the rain continued to pour. The wet streets reflected the colorful lights of the city, and the bus kept stopping with traffic.

It was a pretty long drive back to our town. The pattering sound of the rain on the bus's roof made Hinata fall asleep on my shoulder. I didn't know how she could look any more innocent than this, and with a sigh, I rested my hand on her head as the bus traveled down the road.

The weekend had ended and it was time to go back to the terrible confinement, also known as school. When I woke up that morning, though, I didn't feel quite so depressed. I actually had someone at the school, waiting for me. This, I kept in mind when I left home.

Walking through the school gates, I caught Hinata under the same tree that she waited at the other day. Two girls were talking to her, and by the look on her face, she did not seem happy. One girl had long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail. The other had short, pink hair. Both girls had their hands on their hips, weight shifted to one side, and they were talking to Hinata with menacing glares. I sped up into a hurried walk, toward them.

"You think you can just talk to any guy you want? Sasuke doesn't _want_ to talk to you!" said the blonde girl.

"Yeah, I bet he could care less about you! You're just a bother to him, so stay away." the pink haired girl added in. Hinata was backed against the tree, her hands brought together at her chest, and with each insult, she flinched. Once she saw me approach, the hurt in her eyes ceased. When the two noticed the change in her expression, they turned around only to see my scowling face.

"I-it's him. He's gonna kill us!" whispered the blonde.

"I told you they were close!" yelled the pinkette as they ran away. I hated girls like them. All they cared about were appearances and reputations, they talked too much, too. After those satanic girls were out of sight, I looked at Hinata, who seemed depressed.

"You alright?"

She nodded, trying to fake a smile, but I saw right through it. Those bitches made her think even less of herself. I walked off, sure that she would come running to my side, but she didn't she stood next to the tree, spacing out in contemplation.

"Come on." I ordered. Shaking her head to snap out of her thoughts, she ran after me like she normally did. _That's better_.

She needed to stop talking to that Sasuke bastard. He would only cause her problems.


	7. Go to Sleep

**Thank you, everyone, for the favs, follows, and reviews! It makes my day. :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but if I did, Hinata would be the main character. . .**

Chapter 7: Go to Sleep

Over that week, Hinata and I had made a routine. We'd meet at the tree in front of the school, I'd walk with her to her class, at lunch we would eat in the library or at the table in the corner of the cafeteria, and then we'd walk to the café and back home together. After these few days, doing this, we've become a bit more comfortable around each other. Every morning of that week was different than it was before. I didn't really mind going to school as much.

It didn't all go without problems, however. I always had to keep an eye on Hinata, because Sasuke was _also_ her friend – Sasuke, the school's heartthrob, the guy that every girl wanted to be with. If he got close to just one girl, they would tear her apart. Hinata being my only friend, I felt the need to protect her from these girls.

That wasn't the only problem. Every day, I felt like I was being watched and I was sure that it was Sasuke. I may have punched him the week before, but our clean-up duty was over and I never talked to him after that. Why did he seem to hate me more and more each day? I just ignored it. If he did anything, I knew I had a good chance to kick his ass. I was a good fighter when it came down to it.

On the Friday morning of that week, I came to the tree that Hinata and I have been meeting at for the last four days. She wasn't there, but I stood and waited. After ten minutes, the bell rang and I decided that either she was late (after all, she was always late), or wasn't coming that day, so I slowly made my way to the school by myself. In the hallway, I caught Hinata at her locker. I walked over to her and stood beside her. She didn't even seem to notice I was there.

"Hey," I tried to get her attention with my regular cool tone.

"Hi," replied Hinata quietly without even looking at me. She seemed to be hiding something. Like she was hiding her face. I boldly put my hand on her shoulder to turn her towards me, and was shocked to see her with a black eye. Quickly, she turned her head away.

Firmly grabbing her chin to turn her head toward me once more, I calmly but sharply asked, "Who did this to you?"

"Don't worry about it." One side of her mouth curved upward, as she tried to reassure me that it was okay, but her eyes told me otherwise.

"Tell me." I demanded.

She remained quiet for a bit before sighing and giving in. "My father. . ." she answered, her eyes traveling to the floor, trying to avoid my face. "He kicked me out of the house."

"That's all I need to know. Where are you staying now?"

"I don't know." Her flowing voice became shaky, tears forming in her eyes. Reading the expression on her face I immediately knew how she felt. Lost, unwanted, hopeless. I was familiar with these emotions. This is why Hinata and I were so much alike. We knew each other's pain.

"You're staying with me."

Her unbeaten eye widened. "W-what?"

"You're staying with me." I repeated, absolutely sure with my decision even though I had not really thought it through.

"B-but Gaara-kun! I couldn't p-possibly-"

Sighing I said, "Would you rather sleep on the streets?" Hinata quickly shook her head._ What a troublesome girl._

After a long silence, she rubbed her arm as if she couldn't find any words. "Thank you," she finally said, smiling gratefully.

* * *

That day, we decided to eat lunch in the library because it wasn't highly populated like the cafeteria, and Hinata didn't want people to see her bruised eye. While we sat at a table, I noticed Sasuke walking through the library doors. When he saw Hinata, his eyes widened.

"Hinata, what happened to your eye!?" exclaimed Sasuke worriedly. He held her face in his hands as she blushed.

"I. . . ran into a pole," She seemed embarrassed, because I told her not to tell anyone what happened.

"Clumsy. You need to be more careful," he said caressing her cheek softly with his thumb. Her face colored even more wildly. When I saw this, my chest started to feel compressed, like I could barely breathe. I stood up from my chair and walked off. I wasn't sure what caused me to act that way, but I just couldn't stand it. At the end of the day, I walked through the halls after I put my jacket on and got my backpack.

Tap! Tap! Tap! Ta-Wham!

I turned around to see where all of the noise was coming from when I saw Hinata on the ground. "Oops!" She blushed as she hopped up, and I sweat dropped. She really was clumsy. As she made her way to my side, she asked, "Where d-did you go during lunch? After I talked to S-Sasuke-kun, you disappeared, and I was worried."

"Er, no . . . nowhere." I wasn't quite sure, myself what I was doing at the time. I put my hands in my pockets, once we were outside. The café was busy as usual, but that day, it was busier for a longer period, probably because it was Friday. I was overwhelmed, and ended up staying an hour later than usual. I really hated my job. By 6:30, Hinata and I were out the door and on our way home. I had almost forgotten that I'd offered her to stay at my house.

"You wanna stop at your house to pack?" I asked. Hinata nodded nervously. I don't think she really wanted to go back to her house. Her dad was a bastard, abusing her like that. "I can come in with you."

"N-no, that's alright. I don't want you getting involved w-with my dad, just in case."

Once we got to her house, she climbed through the window of her room. Minutes later, she climbed back out, and I stood under her, to make sure she wouldn't fall. I carried her bag for her while we walked to my sister's place.

"I'm home." I said flatly when we pushed through the door.

Temari's head poked through the kitchen door way. "Hey, Gaara." She spotted Hinata behind me and her eyes widened. Hinata stood close to me, shyly. "Is this your girlfriend!? She's so cute!" Temari exclaimed. I figured she would say something like that.

Hinata blushed and I replied bluntly, "No." With this, Temari raised her eyebrow. "She needs a place to stay. I'll pay for her living expenses." I explained.

Hinata jumped. "N-no, no! I can do that, m-myself!"

"It's fine, sweetie! I'll do it. I have a better-paying job, I'm living just fine, and you don't need any more stress than you probably already have." Temari said comfortingly.

"You sure?" I asked.

"Of course!"

Shrugging, I led Hinata to the couch and set her bag down. "You can sleep here, tonight. We have an extra mattress in the attic, so I can get it for you tomorrow." Hinata nodded nervously, again. She seemed a bit uncomfortable. After the three of us had dinner, I retreated to my room while Hinata got settled in.

It was 8:00 p.m. Taking off my shirt, I threw it on the floor with the rest of my clothes that were scattered around the room. Then, I turned on my lamp, grabbed a comic I'd been reading, and lay on the bed. It was the weekend, once again, thank god. I recalled last weekend which I spent with Hinata, downtown. _It was definitely entertaining._ I thought. By 9:40, I put the book down and turned off the light. I was exhausted; it had been a long week. My eyes felt heavy, and finally, I fell asleep.

* * *

Knock, knock.

I turned in my bed, answering the knock with a tired, raspy voice. "What is it?" My eye gradually shifted to the door that slowly and hesitantly opened. I made out Hinata's small, slim figure in the dark. Propping myself up with one arm, I tried to adjust my eyes to the dark.

"C-can I sleep . . . in here?" she asked shyly.

"What's wrong?" I asked in my, still, tired voice. There was a long pause.

"I . . . don't like sleeping near the door. I feel like someone will c-come in and take me away." She was embarrassed. Sighing, I started to get up.

"N-no. I don't mind sleeping on the floor. I don't want to drive you out of your own bed." Her voice was so soft, that I felt I could fall asleep, again, at any second.

"You're not sleeping on the floor." I said bluntly, looking toward the ground. "And anyway, the floor is a mess."

"O-oh." She also looked down. "I'll just go back, then. I'm s-sorry." _Why did she always make me feel bad?_

"Fine, here." I grabbed a pillow and slammed it in the center of the bed. "Sleep on that side of the pillow." And then I lay back down. I heard her light footsteps, carefully stepping over random junk on the floor. I sensed her standing by the bed, but she never moved from there. I sat back up. "What now?"

"A-are you really o-okay with this?" I just stared at her.

"Why not?"

"Oh . . . u-um, I dunno." I caught her eyes traveling down to my bare chest and arms, as she tried to talk. Her face was almost glowing red in the darkness.

"Just shut up and go to sleep." I said as my head hit my pillow. Hearing the squeaking of the bed as she slipped under the blankets, I closed my eyes, yet I had a hard time sleeping, knowing that she was lying in my bed. Eventually, though, my exhaustion took over and I was once again in deep sleep.

* * *

I awoke to light shining through my eyelids and something soft and warm against my chest. Slowly, my eyes opened. I was startled to find my arms wrapped around Hinata, holding her close to my body. She was still soundly asleep, and I could feel her chest rise and compress as she breathed. My chin was lightly resting on her head. _What the hell!? _My heart started to beat faster and I could feel my pulse running through my face and ears. My mind was spinning, and I was acting completely different than usual.

Sitting up, I backed away, and fell backwards off of the bed, along with Hinata and the blankets. Before I knew it, I was on my back on the floor, Hinata on top of me, and the blankets covering us both. This, obviously, woke her up. Her face was only an inch from mine and her pearl eyes widened, despite her one swollen eye, face flushing furiously.

"G-Gaara-kun!" She stood up quickly only to slip on the blankets and fall onto her bottom. If I counted how many times she'd fallen since I've known her, it would probably be somewhere in the double digits. _What happened to that damn pillow?_

"Is everything o-okay?" asked Hinata, her face still as red as a cherry. That's right; she probably didn't know why we fell out of bed. She just woke up when we were on the ground. I must have grabbed onto her last night when I was asleep.

"It's fine." I said coldly as I got up to look for a shirt. I've never felt so embarrassed. I wasn't sure why my heart was still pounding, but I chose to forget about everything that just happened. Or at least try.

**I enjoyed writing this chapter! Please leave a review! Thanks for reading ;)**


	8. Jealous

**I'm sorry for the long wait! I was busy, and had writer's block, but the next one shouldn't be as long of a wait. I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

Chapter 8: Jealous

Standing in the hallway, I waited for Hinata as I took in the scenery outside the window. Winter was ugly, in my opinion. The skies were grey, and the trees were barren. My concentration went to the weekend's events. On Saturday morning, I got the mattress from the attic and placed it in Temari's room, to relieve Hinata of her fears of sleeping near the front door. Temari didn't mind. She was quite fond of her, actually. Then I thought of the incident when I woke up with Hinata. My face started to heat up, but I mentally shook my head and focused on the jets in the sky. Noticing the path that the jets made as they cut through pale space, I stared, but suddenly, something hit me from the side, knocking me out of my thoughts.

"My bad!" cried a blonde, spiky headed guy with an orange hoodie. He was so bright, it was almost blinding. He quickly hopped off of the ground and I slowly stood up.

"NARUTO!" I saw the pink-haired girl down the hallway, screaming. She ran toward him as fast as a lightning bolt.

"Gotta go!" he yelled, but before he could go anywhere, she grabbed the back of his hoodie and smashed his face in.

"YOU SCREWED UP MY BIG CHANCE WITH SASUKE, YA LITTLE TURD!" She continued to scream in a murderous tone as she beat the living hell out of him, right in front of me. Then she finally stomped off.

The blonde-haired idiot rose from the floor, as a zombie would from the movies, groaning. Rubbing his head, he spoke, "Sorry you had to see that. And sorry about running into you, I was trying to get away from her." I could see why. Then I realized that he was talking to me without any fear. He must have gotten knocked in the head _hard. _"Hey, you're the guy that hangs with Hinata all the time! Ya know, we used to be friends in middle school! She was so shy, but I haven't talked to her in forever!"

He talked in a stupidly playful tone. "So how is she? Does she have more friends? Or could she finally have a boyfriend?" _How annoying_.

I gritted my teeth. "Why don't you get off your ass and ask her, yourself." His smile turned to a frown at my cold attitude.

"Na . . .Naruto-kun?" Hinata appeared behind him with a surprised, yet uncomfortable look on her face.

He spun around and started to rub the back of his head. "Oh, hey, Hinata." She blushed and played with her fingers.

"Well, we're leaving, now." I grabbed Hinata's wrist and lead her toward the school's exit. As we walked, I felt like someone was watching me, again, but I ignored it.

"U-um, Gaara-kun. . ." Hinata's quiet voice made me glance down. I realized that I was still holding her wrist, and tightly. Releasing her from my grasp, we stepped out of the school, and were met with cold air and an ugly grey sky. While we traveled down the street toward town, Hinata kept her eyes on the clouds.

"I hope that it will snow s-soon. I wouldn't even m-mind if we had an ice storm or a blizzard." she stated. I glanced at her questioningly.

"Why would you want that? Storms are chaotic and snow just makes things feel even colder."

She uttered a cute giggle. My stomach felt queasy, again. "You always look at things so negatively," she began, calmly. "Sometimes beautiful things come after storms. After an ice storm, the trees are covered in elegant shining ice. After a blizzard, everything is blanketed in lovely, white snow." She smiled, closing her eyes, as she became lost in her imagination. I brought a hand to my tickled stomach. I've never thought of it that way.

* * *

Hinata did her homework in her usual spot in the café, looking out the window, occasionally, as if she was waiting for snow. I watched as she drew pictures in her notebook when she was supposed to be finishing her work. _Silly girl._

"Hello? Are you going to take my order, now?" A random person waved their hand in my face, trying to get my attention.

"Uh, yeah. What do you want?" I asked, irritated.

I took orders from everyone in line and then when I looked back toward Hinata, someone was sitting across from her. . . Sasuke.

"Yo." He greeted Hinata.

"Sasuke-kun! H-hi!" the startled girl replied. I could hear their conversation from where I was. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Why? You _that_ surprised to see me?" He smirked at the blushing Hinata as she shook her head, nervously. Her eyes wandered to his neck.

"Hey . . . y-you're wearing the scarf I got you." She smiled happily. Sasuke touched the scarf and his face turned a light shad of pink.

"Yeah, thanks. It's been very useful."

I suddenly felt that compressed feeling in my chest, and was somewhat frustrated. I've never felt this way. I've always been so calm and serious, but since I've met Hinata, my emotions have been so unusual. Kiba's voice snapped me back into reality.

"Gaara, what are you doing?" My eyes darted to the cash register, and I saw that I had typed in $100 for a cup of coffee. The customer's eyes were wide, mouth parted. He looked as if he were about to pass out.

Walking to the back room, I told Kiba, "I'm leaving early, today." then rubbed the bridge of my nose to try and ease my headache. I felt this way every time I saw Sasuke . . . and Hinata, together. I always felt like leaving. Getting dressed quickly, I left the back room and headed for the front door.

"G-Gaara-kun! Where are you g-going?" Hinata shouted, then gathered her books and stuffed them in her backpack. "Sorry, Sasuke-kun! I h-have to go." Sasuke grabbed her hand.

"Why? Because _he_ chooses when you should go?" His eyebrows kneaded together and his eyes penetrated me, like daggers.

"Ah, no! It's not tha-"

"I can walk you home just as well as this guy." He interrupted. Hinata just looked at me, anxiously. She didn't know what to do, so she looked to me for guidance, but I only closed my eyes and continued out the door.

"Do what you want."

She seemed hurt when I left and just stood there and watched me go. Sasuke put his arm around her. "It's okay, you can walk with me."

I haven't walked home by myself in a while. It was quiet and kind of lonely. _Damn._ I felt bad for treating her so coldly. _Why did I do that? _When I got home, I went straight to my room and collapsed on the bed. I waited for the sound of the front door to open and close. Almost an hour, later, I still didn't hear it and for some reason, Sasuke's smirk appeared in my mind. _Hinata!_ I grabbed my jacket and raced for the door. As soon as I approached the front door, it opened, and a cold Hinata walked through.

"Where were you?" I asked, firmly.

"I got Sasuke to take me to my real home, so he wouldn't know I was staying with you, and I walked here, myself."

_So nothing happened._

* * *

Hinata and I walked to school together the next morning, when I saw the idiot, called Naruto. He ran up to us. "Morning'!" He grinned, showing his teeth.

Hinata smiled timidly, "Hi," Then gently grabbed onto my arm to hide behind me as she always did when she was shy. Eyebrows moving up and down, Naruto looked at me and chuckled as he nudged me, playfully, with his elbow. I let out an almost inaudible growl.

"Walking your girl to school, I see." he commented. Hinata's face turned a deeper shade of red.

"What do you want, blockhead?"

"Just wanted to say 'hi!'" Then he turned away and winked at me. _That stupid Naruto needs to mind his own business_.

"So . . . what happened, yesterday, Gaara-kun? Were you okay?" Hinata turned her attention toward me, now. We stepped through the front doors and I caught sight of Sasuke. He leaned against the wall, smirking at me. What was he so happy about?

"I don't know."

**This chap is kind of a filler, but the next chapter will be much better, and it will also be the last one. Thanks for reading!**


	9. Just Didn't Know It

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

Chapter 9: Just Didn't Know It

"What are you doing here? Get lost." I said, impatiently, when the blonde-haired idiot appeared beside me.

"Aww, but I wanted to see how you and Hinata-chan are coming along!" he whined. I quickly slapped my hand over his mouth and whispered harshly in his ear.

"Could you be any louder?" We were sitting in the busy cafeteria, and I was waiting on Hinata (as usual). "You shouldn't be sticking your nose in other people's business, I've told you before." Finally, I released him from my grip, leaving him to gasp for air.

He spoke, this time a bit quieter. "But I just wanna help you get together with Hinata-chan," This guy was so bothersome. I didn't even remember his name.

"I never said I was trying to." I didn't see how _he_ out of all people could get _anyone _together.

"I bet you want to, though." He replied, showing his toothy grin. My hands clenched into fists as I was about ready to knock him flat on his face.

"I'm sorry I'm late," A familiar, pleasant voice apologized. I turned my attention to Hinata.

"If you're really sorry, then you'd start coming on time." My patience was short, today, all because of the guy sitting next to me. Hinata hung her head and apologized once more.

"O-oh, Naruto-kun. H-hi," she greeted once she realized he was sitting next to me. _Oh, that's right. His name is Naruto._ I thought.

"Yo, Hinata-chan!"

"What a-are you doing here?"

"Eh, I decided I'd eat with you two, today." Hinata nodded in response, and I let out another growl. Things were quiet. Hinata and I didn't talk much, but just enjoyed each other's company every day. "Well?" Naruto whispered in my ear. "If you want her, you've at least got to talk to her," I glared at him from the side of my eye. What was I supposed to say, anyway? There wasn't much to talk about. "Tell her that you like her sweater," He whispered, again, as if reading my thoughts.

After a few moments of hesitation, I finally said something. "Um . . . er, I like you're sweater." I mumbled, not looking her in the face. I waited for her to say something, until I heard a small, cute giggle.

"You've seen me w-wear this sweater m-many times!" She blushed and brought her fingers to her lips to suppress her laughter. "B-but thank you, Gaara-kun."

My face turned red. _How embarrassing. _I gave Naruto another evil look that said 'you just made me look like a fool, you stupid moron', but he only gave an apologetic shrug. _Why did I even listen to him? It's not like I . . . like I __**like**__ her or anything._

Later that day, I stood in the hallway near the window. I watched the sky, again, as I did the day before. There were no jets to look at, but the sky was the same pale shade of grey. Sighing, I asked "What do you want, Naruto?" without turning from the window.

"Oh, heheh! Hi!"

I finally spun around. "Come to give me more relationship advice?"

"How'd you know?" he laughed.

I rubbed my forehead with my fingers. "So . . . I've been observing you and Hinata-chan, today, and I realized that even though you're friends, you're not very open to her. She probably gets the feeling that you don't trust her or find her annoying." He concluded.

_Observing . . . ?_

"Girls get insecure when you don't open up to them." he added.

"And what am I supposed to do about that?" I asked him indifferently.

"Talk to her, more! Tell her what's on your mind. Compliment her every once and a while!"

How did he know all of these things? I doubted that he even had a girlfriend. "Why do you want to help so much? I never said that I had feelings for her." I told him angrily.

"No, you don't _know_ if you do." he corrected. "Here are some things that you do when you like someone: You get a tickling sensation in your stomach and you're heart beats faster when you're around her. You think the things that she does is cute. You get angry when she's around other guys. . ."

_W-what? All of those things . . . I'm familiar with them_. My eyes widened as I thought, _So . . . all of those unusual feelings were because. . . I like Hinata?_

" . . . and you can't stop thinking about her." Naruto finished. "I've felt all of those things for a certain girl." I could see pink appear on his cheeks. "So, are you familiar with any of them?"

I stared at the floor in thought. It was almost too much to take in. I didn't know the first thing about liking girls. I mean, I've just gotten used to having a friend. "Y-yeah," I replied.

"Haha, I KNEW it!" The blue-eyed boy pumped his fist in the air. "You _do_ like her. See? You just didn't know it!"

"Would you keep it down?"

"Hi, Gaara-kun. Hi, Naruto-kun." Hinata said as she walked toward us, from down the hallway. She carried boxes in her little arms. My heart started to beat faster, the closer she got. _Me? Like Hinata?Nah, it can't be. _"Ino and Sakura asked me to t-take these boxes down to class 1-D for them. Y-you can go ahead to the café. I'll meet you there, s-soon." She struggled with the boxes, for they were much bigger than her. She could barely see where she was going, and judging by her clumsiness, I had a feeling she would drop them in a matter of minutes. Those stupid girls were always taking advantage of her kindness and making her do their chores, I noticed.

I looked over to Naruto and he gestured me to help her. I made my way over to her and took them from her arms. She uttered a small gasp in surprise. "G-Gaara-kun! Y-you don't have to-"

"Shut up. I've got it." She brought a hand to her chest and smiled lightly. The boxes weren't that heavy, to me. I found it amusing that she was struggling so much with them. "What class?"

"1-D." She answered.

After dropping off the boxes, Hinata and I grabbed our stuff and headed out, just like we did every day, but today was different. As we walked, my heart was beating faster than usual. My mind kept straying to what Naruto said, earlier.

"_You __**do**__ like her. See? You just didn't know it!"_

Was it true? Did I really feel that way about her? I was so confused, so overwhelmed. What exactly does a person do when they like someone? I started fidgeting, which is something that I never did. I played with the piercing on my left ear, rubbed my arm, adjusted the zipper on my jacket. For once, I felt the silence was awkward. _This is not like me. This isn't Gaara. _I felt as though I was going crazy, but held it all in, causing me to have a headache.

The whole time, I didn't look at Hinata, once. I didn't think that the day could get any weirder until we walked into the café and I saw Naruto dressed in the café uniform. He smiled and waved at us. _Shit . . ._

* * *

Well, it turned out that Naruto had applied for a job at the café. How exciting. I stood at the cash register, waiting for more customers. This job was so repetitive and boring, but most jobs were. I turned my head to see that Hinata had fallen asleep at her table, while reading. She looked really cute, her head rested on her folded arms, and her slow, peaceful breaths. I continued to stare, when I heard Naruto's quiet snicker behind me.

"Do you stare at her like that, every day?" He asked. "How cute."

I swear I was about to give him a taste of my fist, but I decided that this wasn't the place. Naruto was bothering the hell out of me, following me around everywhere. I liked it better when it was just me and Hinata. Things were much more relaxing and quiet.

It was time to go home, so once I got my stuff together, I started to walk toward the door, sure that Hinata would follow, but then I remembered that she'd fallen asleep. I walked towards her sleeping form.

"Oi, Gaara. Just a few more tips! I realized that you speak to her kind of coldly. You should be a little more considerate of her feelings. Oh, and don't forget what I said, earlier, about opening up to her." Naruto said. I waved him off with a 'tch'.

As I approached Hinata, I decided to wait a moment before waking her. Kneeling down, I got a closer look at her face. Her eyebrows were relaxed and her mouth was parted just a bit as she breathed softly. I absentmindedly brought one finger to stroke her cheek. _So soft._

"Hnn . . ." a small noise escaped her lips, and I stood up quickly.

"Hinata, let's go." Her eyes opened slowly.

"Oh, Gaara-kun!" She put her book in her bag. "I'm sorry."

I sighed, "Quit apologizing,"

"Sorr – I mean . . . yes." I inwardly smirked, then ruffled her hair, messing up her hat as well.

And again, we were walking down the familiar sidewalk that we've walked so many times, under the yellow tint of the streetlights. I looked down at Hinata, walking tiredly beside me. Recalling the first time I'd met her, I continued to stare at the top of her head in silence. Lucky. I was lucky to have someone like her in my life. Someone that could tolerate my difficult attitude. She was always so kind to me. I've only known her for a few weeks, but all of this time . . . yes. Yes . . . I _did_ like her.

**Hope this wasn't too cheesy for you! And I thought Gaara could use a little love coach. **

**Well, based on your reviews, I've decided to extend the story s bit more. Ya know, a little more character development and relationship building. ;) Remember, your reviews are what have shaped the story into what it is, so don't forget to review so that I have an idea of what I should do next! I don't mind it if they're negative, either! **

**Anyway, thanks for reading! It makes me so happy when I get favs, follows, and reviews. I hope that you keep reading.**


	10. Lessons of Love

**Please forgive me! I haven't updated in months. Also, I have to warn you that this chapter isn't very good compared to my previous ones. I guess it's since I haven't written anything in a while. I do hope you like it, anyway! Thanks for reading. **

Chapter 10: Lessons of Love

"So you _do_ need my help, huh?" Naruto grinned in triumph. "I'm gonna teach you ALL about love!"

_I can't believe I'm doing this. _"Look, I just need a few pointers. I don't need you bothering me every five minutes." I tried to clear things up with the hyperactive blonde. It was embarrassing enough just to ask him for help with _anything_.

"Yeah, sure. Now, why don't we start with that dull expression of yours?" He pulled at the sides of my cheeks in attempt to make me smile. Slapping his hand away, I let out a low growl. "If you act like that, you're definitely going to scare her away!"

"I only act that way to people I don't like." I was beginning to get irritated. Maybe asking this idiot for help wasn't such a great idea, I concluded, but it was a bit late, now.

"Poor Hinata probably doesn't have a clue how you feel about her because your expression is always the same. Come on, at least try to make a charming half-smile, or something. If you're not willing to try, then you must not like Hinata that much. You might as well hand her over to Sasuke. They do seem pretty comfortable around each other. . ."

_Sasuke? Not a chance!_ "Fine!" I forced a smile from my face. Naruto flinched in dismay.

"Well, it's a start . . . but we may need to work on it a bit." I sighed in impatience. "Using facial expressions will help in letting her know that you care." Standing up, he put one hand on his hip and held up one finger. "So, lesson one – learn to smile!" He said this with such authority that I wanted to sock him in the stomach. "Oh, look, here she comes, right now. Just try to smile at her every one in a while. . . . but don't try too hard, ya might scare her." With that, he slunk away as if he were pretending to be a ninja **((Haha . . . ninja))**.

"Oh, Gaara-kun! I've been l-looking everywhere for you," Hinata called out. When I heard her voice, my heart skipped a beat.

"Uh, sorry . . ." I tried to smile again, this time, without making it look forced. It was a small smile, but better than scaring her half to death. Her eyes widened and a small gasp escaped her. "What?" I asked.

"You just . . . um, n-nevermind." A light shade of pink painted her cheeks. From the corner of my eye, I saw Naruto from his hiding place, giving me a thumbs-up. Did his advice actually work? **((AN: Where did Naruto learn all this stuff? The internet, duh.)) **When I focused on Hinata once more, she grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hallway with a smile. "Let's go!"

Man, why did she always have to grab my hand? My heart started to flutter at her touch. "Hey, will you slow d-AGH!" The clumsy girl tripped, causing me to stumble over her, and we both ended up on the floor. Groaning, I sat up to see if she was alright. She gave me an apologetic smile, while rubbing her head. I found the look on her face kind of funny. Her face suddenly turned from and abashed look, to a surprised one. "What is it now?" I asked.

"You're . . . smiling," she said in near amazement. "You should smile more often."

Around the corner, Naruto was spying on us, though I knew he was there. "Lesson one, complete."

Things were different, down at the café, since I didn't hate it so much. As long as Hinata was with me, I was pretty content. Taking orders, one by one, I decided that nothing could ruin the pleasure of getting to see Hinata while I worked . . . then, of course, something did.

"I'd like a caramel macchiato, please."

"Sasuke? What are _you_ doing here?" I growled.

"Nice to see you, too. Anyway, I thought I'd order a little something and visit Hinata."

"Sasuke! What's up, man?" Naruto jumped in.

"Not much. You two look great in those visors, by the way." He added with a snicker, and then he walked off to sit with Hinata, while waiting for his order.

Naruto then walked over to me and whispered, "This definitely isn't good for _you _. . ."

_Damn. He always shows up at the worst times. _With that, I tried to listen to what he was saying to Hinata.

"So . . . I was, uh, wondering if you'd like to go see this movie with me on Saturday."

"Oh, a m-movie?" Hinata tilted her head with a small blush.

"Yeah, it just came out yesterday, and I heard it was good."

"Well, s-sure. I guess it wouldn't h-hurt." She began playing with her fingers bashfully. Oh, how I wanted to strangle that raven-haired boy. I couldn't stand watching anymore, and was ready to storm out. Turning away, I planned to go change and then leave.

"Oi, what are you doing?" Naruto stopped me. "This is one of the worst times to leave. You have to do something about Sasuke!"

_What am I supposed to do?_ "Tch. Just get out of my face." He refused to move. Standing there with a stern face and crossed arms, the blond would not budge. I figured that I would never be able to leave unless I did something. "Ugh . . . fine. I'll figure something out." _Hmm . . . maybe __**I**__ can bring him his order._ I picked up the tall caramel macchiato and made my way towards the two.

"Ah, thanks. You'd make a good waiter, too." Sasuke smirked as I approached him.

"Whoops," I 'accidentally' spilt it all over his shirt. The look on Sasuke's face was priceless. He immediately stood up in bewilderment, while Hinata put both hands over her mouth, wide-eyed.

"Look what you did, you asswipe!" He barked in pure anger. I couldn't help but smile, again.

"Forgive me, sir. I'll get something to clean it, right away."

"Fuck you!" Cursing me a few more times, he stomped out the door. I turned to Hinata, to find her in a daze. She blinked a couple of times, and then moved her beautiful lavender eyes to me.

"He left in such a hurry; we didn't even set up a time to meet this weekend. Oh, well." _Yes. My plan worked. Now, I have her all to myself._ I walked toward the cash register, and Naruto came to talk with me, once more.

"See? You have to fight for your woman if you don't want her to end up with some other guy! Now that you have her to yourself, you should work on your charm. Lesson two – learn to be charming!" I rolled my eyes at his dramatic pose. My focus was on Hinata. It looked like she was getting tired. The sky was dark, already, so I got ready to go. _Charming? How would I be charming? _

Hinata and I walked down the street together, as we always did. Silence filled the air, but neither of us ever seemed to mind.

"_Strike up a conversation with her. Give her compliments, and call her 'babe'. Girls love it when guts call them that."_

I recalled Naruto's advice that he gave me before we departed. Maybe I should try it. I mean, he seemed to have been right about everything, so far. Looking down at my feet, I tried to think of what I should say. I was always terrible at starting conversations.

"So . . . er, babe, your hair looks nice, today," I probably sounded really awkward. Her head shot up and a crimson color appeared on her face.

"Eh? Um, th-thanks . . ." She then fiddled with the hem of her shirt. I rubbed the back of my neck, because I had no clue what I should say next. _This is so stupid. I don't think Naruto knows what he's talking about, after all. _Suddenly, Hinata burst into laughter. Her laugh was so light and melodic, that it felt like music to my ears. Then I panicked, because I just knew she was laughing at me.

"Wh-what's so funny?" I mumbled, looking down at her.

"I-it's just the way you said it! It d-doesn't sound like you at all," She giggled, hugging her sides. My heart sank, and my shoulders hung in disappointment. "but that was really sweet of you!" I suddenly felt a pair of dainty arms wrap around my much larger one. The heat rose to my face, for Hinata clung to me the rest of the walk home. _Well, that didn't go quite as planned, but it was well worth it._


	11. Watched

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

***Edit: I added and changed some of the wording to make it flow better. It seemed choppy and rushed before.**

Chapter 11: Watched

More and more each day, the feeling of being watched was nagging at me. It was a threatening feeling that made me uneasy all the time, especially when I was alone. In the hallways at school I would keep an eye out, focusing on the dark corners, knowing that someone was there. The hairs on the back of my neck stood and my body was tense, but still I waited for Hinata to meet me outside of her classroom. The sudden laughing of girls echoed down the hall, causing me to turn and stare, when I felt a sudden tap on the back. Jumping in surprise, I clenched my hand into a fist, ready to throw a punch, but it was only Hinata. She held her hands in front of her face and flinched, as I backed away.

"G-Gaara-kun? Are you o-okay?"

"A-ah, yeah. Sorry," My body relaxed, but not completely. I was anxious to get out of the school with many corners. "Let's go." Together, we walked toward the front doors and Hinata stayed close behind me. She didn't know that I felt someone watching me, since I never told her, not wanting her to worry. I also couldn't bring myself to tell her that I liked her. During our walk to the café she kept looking at me with worry.

"Are you sure you're okay? You haven't been acting like yourself, lately."

"Just don't worry about it. I'm tired." _Such a sweet girl is worried about a jerk like me._ She turned to look at the ground again in thought, as if she was trying to think of something to say. I put a hand on her head, and her eyes traveled to my face. "Everything's fine," I said, giving her a reassuring half-smile. She smiled back and nodded. _Cute._

"Oh! Ch-Christmas is coming up soon! Is there something you want?" Startled by the question, I thought for a moment. Christmas. I had almost forgotten about it. _What do I want? I want you._

"Nothing." I said in a flat voice.

"Eh? You m-must want _something_," she persisted.

_I just want you_. I shrugged it off. "Nah, there's nothing in particular that I want."

"Well then I'll surprise you!"

Then, realizing I had to get something for her, I asked, "What do _you_ want?" I didn't know much about things that she liked. However, there were a few things that she seemed interested in when we went downtown that one time, I recalled.

"_Nothing_," she said in a sly tone, smirking. It wasn't like one of Sasuke's smirks. God, it was so cute.

"Wh-what?" Her response was unexpected, since she usually answered my questions warmly.

"You didn't tell me, so I'm not going to tell you," she giggled playfully. If I could see that smile and hear that giggle for eternity, I'd be happy.

We arrived at the café and I got started taking orders. A while later, Naruto walked through the doors. "Sup, Gaara. Hey, Hinata," He waved, and she smiled, waving back from her spot next to the window. Then he whispered to me, "So how have things been going with you two?"

"None of your business."

"Hey, I just wanted to know so I can help you more!"

"Shhh!"

"Sorry,"

"Just get to work."

Naruto gave up and went to change into his work clothes, to get started making coffee for the customers. My eyes glared at the window. Again, that feeling of someone watching me - it was tingling up my back. _I think I'm going to go crazy if I don't find who it is._

By the time it was 5:30, I was dressed and ready to go. Wearing those ridiculous clothes in front of Hinata was embarrassing, but that's what I wore when we first met. Thinking again of the first time we talked, I smiled lightly. She helped me clean up the mess I spilled. She was always helping me clean up my mess, helping me clean up my life of loneliness. Since meeting her, I fit in a little more. People still cowered around me, but Hinata was always there, and I hate to admit it, but I also made friends with Naruto. No longer was I a pessimistic loner.

"So what are you going to do for Hinata on Christmas?" Naruto asked. "You know, that's one of the best times of the year for romance to bloom. Couples mostly spend time together on Christmas."

"We're not a couple." My heartbeat sped up at the thought.

"So when are you going to tell her that you're in love with her?"

"Will you shut up!? People will hear." Talking about this with Naruto made me so uncomfortable, and I felt so uncool. He was always so loud. "Anyway, we're leaving, so see ya."

"Bye! Don't forget to think about it," he winked, and I sighed at how stupid he was.

"Come on, Hinata."

"H-hai!" _She still stutters, even after knowing me for almost two months. Silly girl._

* * *

After walking Hinata to her class the next day, I left to go to my locker when Sasuke bumped into me.

"Oh, sorry." He smirked at me. What was he smiling about? I just glared at him with suspicion, and then walked away. He was up to something and I could tell. Maybe he was the one watching me. But why? The warning bell rang and I sped up so that I wouldn't be late for chemistry. The hallways were empty of people, which made me even more nervous. As I rounded a corner, someone suddenly grabbed hold of my shirt and pulled me into the bathroom, slamming me against the wall. Flinching from the sudden impact with the wall, I didn't see who it was that grabbed me.

"Nnng!" Then a blow to my stomach caused me to cringe. Opening my eyes, I saw the aggressor. The guy was bigger than me, and looked an awful lot like Sasuke. His older brother, perhaps? There were three other guys standing next to him. One had reddish hair, like mine. Another had blonde hair, tied back, and the other had spikey dark blue hair with piercing eyes, like a fish. What could they want from me? I've never talked to them in my life! So many questions filled my head, until they were interrupted.

"So you're the one that's been messing around with my girlfriend!? You piece of shit!" he exclaimed, striking me again, hard in the stomach without giving me much time to think. _What the hell?_ Recoiling again, I knew that I was no match against these guys. The outnumbered me, and by the looks of them, they were seniors.

"Where did you get that idea?" I asked with a menacing, yet still cool tone.

"My brother told me he's seen you with her, and more than once." This time, he grabbed my shirt again and threw me to the ground. I grabbed my stomach. It hurt like hell, but I got back up onto my feet_. I don't know what he's talking about. _My hands clenched into fists, ready to defend myself.

"Talk to her again, and you're dead." Sticking his hands in his pockets, he left the bathroom with the other guys. _That asshole, Sasuke, must have done this._ The room grew silent and now I was alone in the bathroom. After a while of thinking, I decided to leave, but felt a presence, again. Walking out of the bathroom, I found Sasuke leaning against the wall outside, laughing.

Seeing his face caused so much rage. "You bastard!" My fist almost hit his face, when he warned me.

"Better not do that, or you'll be the one who ends up in the hospital, or worse."

Growling, I asked, "What's your problem?"

"You came along and took Hinata from my reach. She's mine." He stood upright and scowled. "Stay away from her, and I'll tell my brother that he got the wrong guy."

_He can't keep me away from her. I don't care what happens to me, as long as I can see her. _

"In your dreams." I sneered, which caused Sasuke to throw a punch at me, but I dodged it. "You can't win that easily." With that, I walked away.

**So what do you think of the new chapter? A little turn of events, I thought would make it interesting. Anyway, thanks again for reading this far! Please leave a review! ^_^**


	12. Warm Like Coffee In Winter

Chapter 12: Warm Like Coffee In Winter

The expectation of being ganged up on each day, made me far from relaxed. I was a nervous wreck. If those guys showed up again, I would surely be beaten to a pulp, but I just couldn't lie down and take Sasuke's threats. He was definitely not going to take Hinata from me. She was all I had. She was the reason I woke up each day, actually content.

That Wednesday night, I sat in my room trying to think of any possible way to escape this harassment. Would this keep going on forever? I contemplated it so much, that I didn't even notice my floor was clean. There were no dirty clothes scattered around and my comics were stacked neatly on my nightstand. Temari never dared enter my room because she hated the sight of it. _Could it be-?_ I made my way to the laundry room and was astonished to find little Hinata wearing my old grey jacket! The sleeves went way past her hands, she had the large hood over her head, and it was almost like a dress.

"Oh! Hi, Gaara-kun!" She waved at me with her hidden hand and then laughed, "Hehe, look! I'm you!" My face rapidly started to heat up, revealing a blush. I covered my face with my hand to hide it. Heart beating like crazy, my palms started to get sweaty. _Damn it! How much cuter can she get!?_

"What are you doing?"

"Ah, I was washing your clothes for you. I h-hope you don't mind. I just noticed that you looked really stressed l-lately. . ." I was too concentrated on how good she looked in my jacket that I almost forgot to reply.

"U-uh, you didn't have to do that, but I a-appreciate it." Walking up to her, I patted her head. Her large lavender eyes gazed at me from under the hood, sparkling with determination.

"But I i-insist! Just leave it to me, it's the least I can do for all you've done for me!" she tried to make a thumbs-up under the large sleeves. _I've been worrying her . . . I didn't even notice. _She took off my jacket, and I relished the last few moments of seeing her in it. I just couldn't hand her over to Sasuke. I wouldn't let him have her! His brother could beat me as much as he wanted before I'd let that happen. Leaving the laundry room, a sudden realization hit me – _Does that mean she saw my boxers!?_

* * *

At school, I scanned each corner and tried to stay away from them. It's been two days since I've last been attacked, and I haven't stayed away from Hinata, like Sasuke said, so I was certain that his brother would come after me at any time. Right as I left Hinata in front of her classroom, Sasuke approached her. He talked to her, she laughed, he rubbed the back of his neck, and then even dared to take her hand and lead her somewhere else. Where was he taking her? Tailing close behind, I hid behind walls to stay unnoticeable, even though I was trying to stay away from the corners of the halls. I had to to make sure that she was okay. He led her into a classroom and closed the door. Once they were inside, I tried to make my way over so that I could peek inside. _What the hell was he going to do?_

Then suddenly, a hand grabbed the back of my collar and pulled me against the wall again. _Shit! I wasn't paying attention. _"I warned you not to talk to my girlfriend, but looks like you're going to have to pay the price." Sasuke's brother hit me in the face then kneed my stomach. I recoiled and landed on the ground under his and his gang's feet.

"You can punch me all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that I've never talked to your girlfriend. I don't even know who the hell she is," I spat. He answered with a kick in my ribcage. The rest of his gang joined in.

"Well if beating you up doesn't help, then I'm going to take someone important to you and beat the living hell out of them until you confess. Hmmm . . . how about that little girl you always hang out with. What's her name again?" he looked around at his gang members.

"Hinata, I believe," replied the fish-eyed guy.

"Ah, yes . . . _Hinata_." The name rolled off of his tongue with a smile. My eyes widened in shock. I couldn't imagine these guys hurting her. I couldn't let them lay a finger on her. _No . . . I have to do something. Anything!_

My voice turned nastier and I grimaced. "Hinata? Ugh, I hate that girl. She follows me around, and she's so troublesome. I never liked her; I just pretend to be nice. Hurting _her_ isn't going to do anything." Sasuke's brother grinned.

"If that's true then don't go running after her." _Huh?_

I turned to see Hinata standing behind me, wide-eyed. Tears started to form at the rims of her eyes and her lip quivered, hands at her chest. _Hinata . . ._ She turned on one foot and ran away down the hall, and I just watched. Oh, how I wished I could run after her at that moment, but I kept my nasty face and stood there for her sake. Sasuke was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and snickering at me. This was all a part of his plan. That's why he led her over here; he wanted to appear as the hero.

Turning back to Sasuke's brother, I said, "Don't believe everything your brother tells you. If you want proof, go ask your girlfriend." Putting my hands in my pockets I walked away, but right after turning the corner, I broke into a run. I checked the library, the classroom, the gym, the cafeteria . . . everywhere, and I still couldn't find her. Once outside, I spotted her under the tree we always met up at, and then ran to her. She hugged her knees and was sobbing, now.

Kneeling down in front of her, I tried to get her attention, "Hinata," She refused to look at me, and kept crying. I touched her shoulder but she turned the other way. I just sighed and moved in front of her again. Words wouldn't help. How could she believe anything I said, now? Gently grabbing her wrists, I moved them to make her face visible again. Her eyes stayed shut, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"I-I thought we were f-friends! If I was such a bother, th-then you should've told me," she said between sobs. I wiped the tears from her face, and held her chin in my hand, then unconsciously moved closer. Still, she refused to look at me. Within seconds, the space between us decreased. I felt her warm breath on my face, and then . . . our lips touched. Hinata's eyes shot open and she gasped in surprise when she felt my lips. It was a short kiss, but it felt like an eternity. Boy, were her lips soft.

After pulling away she stared into my eyes in confusion. "Wh-wha-?" Her whole face turned red, and mine was heating up as well. My lips felt hot.

"Hinata, I love you,"

She gasped again, but before she could say anything else, I leaned in and kissed her again, and this time she kissed back. Her hands rested on my chest and I had my arms around her tightly, holding her body against mine. We pulled away again. "I l-love you, too . . . Gaara-kun," she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt and looked down after saying this. I don't know how to explain it, but hearing those words escape her mouth suddenly made me the happiest guy in the world.

A single snowflake fell between us. "Hey!" Hinata looked up. "It's snowing!" She stood up and danced around, spinning and twirling. From under the tree, I watched her dance. Then she stuck out her tongue, hoping to catch some of the snowflakes. She tilted her head up so high that she lost balance and fell backward onto her bottom. I chuckled. _Silly girl. _

Later, I found that Sasuke's brother, Itachi, found the truth after asking his girlfriend (like I suggested) and beat the shit out of Sasuke for putting him through so much trouble over nothing. Hinata continued to stay with me and Temari, and things actually worked out in the end. It's crazy how much things can change. Just a few months before, I was a loner, whom everyone hated, cold toward everyone, but then I met Hinata. Her warm personality changed me. She was like my warm coffee in winter.

The End

* * *

**Thanks sooo much for staying and reading until the end! It makes me so happy to get reviews and favorites, and follows! This is kind of the end, but there will be a bonus chapter about how Gaara and Hinata spend Christmas together. Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing this story, because I just love this pairing. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing!**

**~ChibiStarChan**


	13. Author's Note

The bonus story is up. Take a look at my profile! Also, I have made some artwork to go with 'Warm Like Coffee In Winter' and you can check that out by clicking on the links on my profile. Thanks again for reading!


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